Improvement in packing for steam-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, JAMES L. Bn'rEs, OE PROVIDENCE, RHODE, ISLAND IMPROVEMENT IN' PACKING FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 36,987, (lated November 25,1362- To. a/ZZ whom it'fmay concern:

Be takmwn that'I, J AMES. L. Barns, lof the Pnmpsgiand other Apparatus;Y andldo here- 4by declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact-,description of the same, reference' being had to the accompanying drawings,fo rm part of this specication, in Which- Figlirei represents a longif'udinalview of f a piece of my improved packing; Fig. Zis a central section of astuiiing-box having'the Similarletters of reference indicate corre. spending parts in both figures.

' This packing is composed of a fillet ors'trip l of cork covereil'with twine, Wihich'has been vention, I will proceed' to describe it with reiL erenco to the drawings.

A represents the iillet or strip of cork out Oi uniform size, and b the cotton-covered twine with which-it is covered.

c is an Open braiding,of twine or other light lnateriahbraided On the cork before the Outer covering, b, is applied, its Object being to strengthen the cork and enable it `lo be bent Without being broken. f

The external covering, b, is 'composed of a twine thickly covered with soft cotton the cotton being Wound upon it inthe'form Of a soft sliver, and the'twine being merely to hold the soft cotton together and ginie it a desirable degree Oi' tenacity. The saidcovering b is 'wound closely around thebraidedllet ofl cork. This packing may be made' in pieces of any length and kept for use in lcoils Of convenient size, the flexibility of 'the-tcork being snflicient to enable it to be coilednp.,

The iillet of cork is made in pieces of `as great length as can be, Obtained, Or-ofany convenient length, united by scarf-joints. l

` One great yadvantage of the braiding c is that. it strengtnens and preserves these joints. VThe saidl braidingv is not, however, indispensable.

The packing is used in the same manner as indiarubber Or other packing which. is used in fillets or strips. Y

To prepare it for use, it is first' placed in Scalding Water to render it soft and pliable, after which itis saturated as much as possible with melted tallow, and then coiled up Within the stufiing-box, and around the rod or shaft Where itis to be -nsed and pressed tight the gland or follower.

The advantages o'f this packing as compared with india hebben packing haveheen deinem strated by actnal-trialfin the stuffing-boxes Ol a locomotive piston-rod. Of the india-rubber packing, costing Onedollar per pound, about one pound is necessary for each stufngl-box. 'Of my packing, costing but half a dollar a pound, Only-one-third Ofa pound is required; heneeits rst costis but onesixth that Ot indiarubber, but as it is at least three times more durable its real cost is only about One-twentieth that Ofindia-rubber. It is more pliable and sustains e greater pressure than the indiarubber packing, and it does not melt and clog the piston-rod as the india-rubber does.l

What I claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent,visf l. rlhe combination-Of' the llet or strip Of cork A and the covering b, composed of twine covered with soft cotton or other soft fibrous material, substantially as herein speciiied.

9;. The braiding c, applied in coin nation ,Withthe fillet or strip A and covering b,

substantially as' and for vthe purpose herein specified,

JAB/IES L. BATES.

1ilitnesses:

JOHN HEAP, W. C. GEEE. 

